Highest-paying jobs in Seattle that don't require a college degree

Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.

This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.

The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.

However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Seattle using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.

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ITisha // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $95,460
- Median hourly wage: $45.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $95,540
- Median hourly wage: $45.93
- Total employment: 1,140 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

curraheeshutter // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Ship engineers

- Median annual wage: $96,390
- Median hourly wage: $46.34
- Total employment: 770 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $96,420
- Median hourly wage: $46.36
- Total employment: 260 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Stonemasons

- Median annual wage: $96,640
- Median hourly wage: $46.46
- Total employment: 220 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Insurance appraisers, auto damage

- Median annual wage: $97,570
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $98,720
- Median hourly wage: $47.46
- Total employment: 4,020 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $98,950
- Median hourly wage: $47.57
- Total employment: 200 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $100,330
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 1,630 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $100,460
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $101,120
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 420 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 9,160 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $102,220
- Median hourly wage: $49.14
- Total employment: 4,150 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $102,680
- Median hourly wage: $49.36
- Total employment: 2,340 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Pixel B // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 840 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 360 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $103,540
- Median hourly wage: $49.78
- Total employment: 290 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Flight attendants

- Median annual wage: $103,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

- Median annual wage: $104,120
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 1,600 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $105,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 1,260 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $105,650
- Median hourly wage: $50.79
- Total employment: 11,970 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $106,010
- Median hourly wage: $50.97
- Total employment: 470 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Magsi // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment

- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

APChanel // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Signal and track switch repairers

- Median annual wage: $106,220
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 120 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

- Median annual wage: $106,950
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $106,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 850 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $108,050
- Median hourly wage: $51.95
- Total employment: 690 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $109,030
- Median hourly wage: $52.42
- Total employment: 4,870 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $114,200
- Median hourly wage: $54.90
- Total employment: 4,070 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Glen Jones // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Layout workers, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $114,720
- Median hourly wage: $55.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Onk-Q // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

- Median annual wage: $117,110
- Median hourly wage: $56.30
- Total employment: 160 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $118,980
- Median hourly wage: $57.20
- Total employment: 2,110 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Sound engineering technicians

- Median annual wage: $119,600
- Median hourly wage: $57.50
- Total employment: 290 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $119,640
- Median hourly wage: $57.52
- Total employment: 240 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Nagaiets // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Lighting technicians

- Median annual wage: $120,610
- Median hourly wage: $57.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $122,450
- Median hourly wage: $58.87
- Total employment: 680 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $123,080
- Median hourly wage: $59.17
- Total employment: 190 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $128,800
- Median hourly wage: $61.92
- Total employment: 1,850 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $129,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.03
- Total employment: 670 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $130,730
- Median hourly wage: $62.85
- Total employment: 1,040 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $131,680
- Median hourly wage: $63.31
- Total employment: 260 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Aniwat phromrungsee // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Commercial divers

- Median annual wage: $131,960
- Median hourly wage: $63.44
- Total employment: Not available

HannaTor // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Gambling managers

- Median annual wage: $133,030
- Median hourly wage: $63.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $133,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 660 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $133,460
- Median hourly wage: $64.16
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $137,040
- Median hourly wage: $65.89
- Total employment: 770 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $138,900
- Median hourly wage: $66.78
- Total employment: 2,150 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $151,560
- Median hourly wage: $72.86
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $159,820
- Median hourly wage: $76.84
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.